During the Republic of China era, I achieved unparalleled success by returning to the past.

The two were separated by a louvered door.

Song Beiyou lowered his eyes and said in a steady voice, "Miss Su, I did save your life, so it's a bit much for you to say that."

"Save my life? You forcibly took over my body, stole the serum, and then kept it for yourself!"

Song Beiyou's brows furrowed slightly before relaxing. If the altered timeline was followed, what she said wasn't wrong. "Miss Su, have you ever had a very vivid dream, a dream in which you died on the dance floor?"

"no."

Song Beiyou pursed his lips. "Then please hand over the serum to me, and we'll be even."

"Even if we settle accounts?" The louvered door suddenly opened, letting in a large swath of dim light.

Song Beiyou narrowed his eyes slightly; a dark gun barrel was already pointed at him. The gun was held by a hand as delicate as a lotus root. A pair of clear almond-shaped eyes flashed with a look that shifted from anger to astonishment, then a glimmer of admiration.

Su Xiaowan's pretty face remained frosty. She took two steps back, pointed her gun, and said, "Come in."

Song Beiyou, on the contrary, remained calm and composed, and followed the instructions to enter the door, closing it with a click.

Su Xiaowan said angrily, "Aren't you afraid I'll shoot you dead?"

Song Beiyou looked into her eyes, smiled, and asked, "Why did you want to kill me?"

"Because...you..." Su Xiaowan gritted her teeth, "you ruined my innocence."

"This was a last resort, otherwise how could I save you?" Song Beiyou spread his hands.

Su Xiaowan sneered, "What makes you think you can save me?"

Song Beiyou's imposing aura suddenly softened. He walked slowly closer, his foot barely a foot from the muzzle of the gun, and asked calmly:

"You think you and Juan can get the serum from Zhang Dabao? Even if you do, can you dodge Juan and that Young Master Jie's deadly attacks?"

Su Xiaowan felt as if the man before her was a tiger unleashed from its cage, suffocating her. When asked this question, she carefully considered the series of actions he had performed using her body: scheming, martial arts, and unbelievable marksmanship.

In the instant she was distracted, a slender hand, like a flashlight, reached out, grabbed her wrist, deflected her force, and seized her gun in a flash.

Su Xiaowan felt a numbness in her wrist, and her hand went empty as the gun was snatched away. In a flash, she reached for her waist and unleashed the Willow Heart Iaijutsu. However, her opponent's other hand was incredibly fast, reaching out from the side, grabbing her hand, and pressing it down, actually forcing the short sword back into its sheath.

This ability... the man in front of me also used her body to perform it!

Song Beiyou switched off the safety on his pistol, casually tucked it into his belt, and smiled, "I know your capabilities perfectly well. It would be unwise to attack me in front of you. If I wanted to kill you, you would have died at least seven times over."

"Who exactly are you? Why do you possess this ability?" Su Xiaowan asked, her red lips pressed tightly together.

"My name is Song Beiyou. As for my abilities, I can't say more. If you hand over the serum to me, I can promise you that once I have the strength, I will help you get rid of that hateful old woman and the organization behind her."

Su Xiaowan's icy expression softened slightly, and her bright eyes darted around as she thought to herself: This person in front of me has mysterious abilities and his skills far surpass mine. What's worse, he knows everything about me!

She walked to the table, took a vinyl record from the wooden box, lifted the dark red record cover with her finger, placed the record on it, and turned on the switch.

The record made a soft scratching sound as it rubbed against the stylus, and then a languid, lingering voice emanated from the elegantly curved, warmly glowing brass speaker. It was her signature song, "Night Fragrance."

Su Xiaowan turned around and smiled sweetly. "You dance with me, and I'll give you the serum."

Song Beiyou slightly raised his eyelids and warned, "I know everything about you. If you try anything again, I won't be polite."

"I don't need you to remind me." Su Xiaowan rolled her eyes at him and gently extended her right hand. "Please, Mr. Song."

Song Beiyou reluctantly stepped forward, a familiar, fresh scent wafting into her nostrils. Tonight, she wore a light purple stand-up collar casual dress with a diagonal placket, appearing less alluring and more gentle.

He took her hand and placed the other on her slender waist. Their eyes met, and they both seemed to have a strange feeling.

Her hand rested softly on his shoulder. Song Beiyou followed her steps somewhat awkwardly. The two were like two boats, wary of each other yet temporarily bound by the music, seemingly close together but actually separated by an invisible current.

Su Xiaowan suddenly pulled her hand away, pushed him away, and giggled, "Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for you anymore. You're like a block of wood, not engaging at all. You wait."

Song Beiyou thought to himself: Can I really dance freely with you? I have to be on guard against you all the time. If it weren't for your kind heart, pitiful background, and the fact that you're a woman, I would have captured you long ago and tortured you severely.

Su Xiaowan lifted the bed curtains and took a metal cylinder from the bedside table. "Here you go."

Song Beiyou reached out and caught it. The cool metallic touch invigorated him. His fingertips just happened to touch the engraved characters: Crimson Shark · One Wheel · Extremely Rare.

After confirming the serum was correct, he hid it in his leather pouch, his mood instantly improving. He casually asked Su Xiaowan, "What are your plans for the future?"

Su Xiaowan ran her fingers through a strand of wavy hair and said softly, "I'll hide here for now. I've saved up some money over the years, enough for me to hide for a while. Or... would you take me in?"

Song Beiyou smiled. "My place is so small I can't even fit myself in." He changed the subject, "Your place is perfect. I'd like to come and stay with you—a beautiful woman, a grand house, every man's dream."

Unexpectedly, Su Xiaowan's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she readily agreed: "Okay, then you can move in. I'll hire you as my bodyguard, and I'll have Aunt Wang clean your room."

Song Beiyou smiled and said, "Let Wang Ma pack up first. I might come over anytime." He paused slightly, pulled a small pistol from his waist, placed it on the table, and asked, "Is there any way to get me a couple of good guns? This one is too small. I need one with a large magazine capacity and high firepower. Also, get me a batch of bullets, the more the better."

Under the laws of the Eastern Xia Federation, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to legally own guns. Foreign gun shops are even less likely to sell guns to Chinese people.

"Okay, but it'll take a while." Su Xiaowan frowned and thought for a moment. "Come back in three days to pick it up. It's not cheap, so remember to pay."

Song Beiyou's lips curled into a smile. "It's the middle of the night, so I'll take my leave now. I'll come back to see you in three days."

Just as he turned around, he was stopped. "Wait, you should know that serum can't be injected casually, right? It must first undergo compatibility testing. If you do it haphazardly, your whole body will collapse and turn into pus and blood, and that's the least of your worries."

"Thank you for reminding me, farewell." Song Beiyou opened the louvered door, took long strides, and quickly went downstairs and left.

Su Xiaowan pushed open the side window and looked at the tall, handsome figure in the cobblestone alley. "Looks like you really aren't a pervert. Other men, upon seeing me, would practically want to bite me..."

Her gaze shifted, and the image of him taking her gun, disarming her, and holding her hand and waist, along with those more private and unbearable "memories," suddenly flooded her mind. Her face flushed instantly, even her delicate earlobes turning bright red.

She stomped her foot angrily, "How hateful...you saw everything about me! You even...used the toilet!"